Security bag or pouch



(No Model.)

U. A. PRESTON.

SECURITY BAG 0R POUCH.

No. 414,253. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. PRESTON, OF CAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

SECURITY BAG OR POUCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,253, dated November 5, 1889.

Application filed August 14, 1889. Serial No. 320,701. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLEs A. PRESTON, residing at Cambridgeport, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Security Bags and Pouches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bags and pouches used for holding valuables of all kindssuch as bank-bills, gold and silver coin, or any other property which it is desirable to secure in such a receptacle under a seal.

The special uses I have in mind for my invention are for conductors of street-cars and other persons who receive moneys which they transmit at intervals to their employers.

The special object of my invention is to provide a security bag or pouch in which the money or other valuable is placed by the person who is to transmit it, who looks the bag by means of a locking device and then seals it with a lead or other soft-metal seal and deposits the same. with the receiver.

In carrying out my invention in its application to street-car conductors I have in mind to obviate the loss of money from the bag during its transmission to the persons who count and make a record of the contents and to fix the responsibility of loss, if any occurs. In the ordinary course of procedure each conductor provides a bag according to his own taste and convenience, places therein the" money to be transmitted to the employer, with a memorandum of the amount, with his name and number, and with such other information as may be required. He deposits the bag and contents with a clerk at a receiving-office, and it, with others so deposited, is taken to the main office, where it is opened and the money counted. In many cases the amount found in the bag does not agree with the inclosed memorandum, owing either to the mistakes or rascality of the conductor or to the abstraction of a portion of the contents during its transmission.

My invention consists in providing a bag or pouch consisting of a body of canvas, leather, or of any suitable flexible material, provided with a locking and sealing apparatus. \Vhen locked, the corners of the open end of the body are folded toward the center. Each thickness of the material of the body in the folds, as well as the parts in the center of the body, are perforated, through which passes a hinged metal clasp in such manner as to bring its free end, which is perforated, opposite and against and to register with a tongue, which also has a perforation, forminga part of theplate to which the clasp is hinged. The said plate and clasp form the locking device, the plate being for convenience attached to one side of the open end of the bag. \Vhen the free, end of the clasp is thus brought into contact with the plate, the folded parts of the bag are compressed between the plate and clasp, so that the mouth of the bag is hermetically locked, the free end of the clasp being held against the plate by reason of the peculiar way in which it is hinged thereto, producing the eifect and result of a spring. While in this position the perforations in the plate and clasp coincide, and a rivet of soft metal, preferably lead, is pushed through the perforations and headed down by any suitable hand or power heading apparatus, thus sealing the bag.

To open the bag or pouch, I provide a punch and die, by means of which the rivet is forced out from its place, leaving the plate and clasp clear and free, all of which I will now proceed to describe, and point out in the claims.

Of the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of and illustrate this specification, Figure l is a perspective view showing the front view of a bag or pouch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a back View of the same, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the bag partly open or unlocked. Fig. 4 is a front side view, the bag being open. Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking into the open end of the bag. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the locking device, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the said device. Fig. 7 is a plan View of the die for setting the rivet, the looking device being shown as placed therein for heading a rivet.

As I may employ any suitable rivet-heading apparatus, I do not consider it necessary or expedient to describe any special construction of the same.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the bag-body, made of any flexible suitable material, as canvas, leather, &c., and A is the locking and sealing device. The body has the corners of its open end turned toward the center of the bag, and each fold of the same has a perforation c, as well as does the central portions of the body, also. The perforations are shown as having eyelets inserted. The locking and sealing device A is shown as being fastened to one side of the body awith eyelets vi 2', although it is not essential that it should be attached thereto, yet for convenience I prefer so to do. This device consists of a plate f, having a tongue 9 projecting from one side, which has a perforation it near its end. A curved clasp j is hinged to the opposite side of the plate, having a perforation It at its free end 3. The clasp is provided at its hinging end with a resilient loop or eye Z, oblong in shape. The clasp may be made in one piece, with its end turned back to form the loop, and then brazed at the point 10, (or it may be formed in any other desired way.) Before the loop is closed up the end is passed through the opening n in the plate f, so to inclose or embrace the supporting pivoting-bar m, which is integral with the plate. The said bar is rectangular in cross section and 'a little wider than the short diameter of the loop or eye Z.

When the bag or pouch is to be closed, locked, and sealed, the money is placed therein and the sides of the body are brought together, as shown in Fig. 4, the two corners b b are turned inward toward the center, the device A is turned over in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 and on the lines of the creases e e in the body, as shown in Fig. 5, thus doubling over the open end of the body, and the free end 8 of the hinged clasp j is passed through the eyelets c c of the several folds of the body (which in this position all register with each other) until the face of the said free end is brought up against the tongue g of the plate f. By this time the several folds are compressed upon one another and the mouth of the bag is hermetically closed.

When the bag is open, the clasp j is thrown back, as shown in Fig. 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and during its movement in looking it moves in the direction of the arrow, (toward the plate f,) as shown in the latter figure. In so doing the sides of the loop Z meet With resistance from the bar m, which is wider than the-short diameter of the loop, and when forced in the said direction the sides of the loop are sprung apart and remain In order that the perforations h and shall positively register when the clasp is sprung against the tongue g of the plate f, and also to provide that the clasp shall not be pushed sidewise and cut off the rivet, I provide projections 15 on each side of the lower end of the tongue g, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, between which the clasp is inclosed' and held.

As descriptive of the use of the bag or pouch for street-car conductors, let us suppose the conductor puts the money into the bag, with a memorandum of amount and his name and number. The sides of the bag are brought together, the corners turned in, the clasp inserted through the eyeleted perforations and brought to the locking position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and6, and the conductor carries the locked bag to the office of deposit, where is kept one or more seal-presses operated by hand or power, (a small motor, for example,) with which he seals the bag.

At a certain time the bags are all carried to the main or central office, where is kept one or more stamps for punching out the lead seals, after which the bag may be opened and the money counted.

It will be observed that the bag may be locked without being sealed, the locking being done by the conductor when upon his car or other place, while the sealing is only performed at the receiving-office.

I do not confine its use to any special purpose, as it may be employed in very many ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 151- 1. In a bag or pouch provided with a looking and sealing device, the combination of a body having the corners of its open end folded toward its center, each fold having a perforation which coincides or registers with all the others when so folded, with a locking and sealing device consisting of a plate having a perforation on one side thereof and provided with a hinged clasp having a perforation at its free end, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a bag or pouch provided with a. looking and sealing device, the combination of a body havingthe corners of its open end folded toward its center, each fold having a perforation which coincides or registers with all the others when so folded, with a locking and sealing device consisting of a plate having a perforation on one side thereof and provided with a hinged clasp having a perforation at its free end, which, when the clasp is locked, coincides with and presses upon the said perforation in the plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a bag or pouch provided with a looking and sealing device, the combination of a body having the corners of vits open end folded toward its center, each fold having a perforation which coincides or registers with all the others when so folded, with a locking and sealing device consisting of a plate having a perforation in one side, with a clasp hinged to the said plate by a rectangular pivotingbar integral therewith, the clasp-hinge being an oblong resilient loop embracing the said bar and having a perforation in its free end which registers or'coincides with the said perforation in the plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a locking and sealing device for bags and pouches, the combination of a plate having a perforation in one side, with a clasp hinged to the said plate by a rectangular pivoting-bar integral therewith, the clasp-hinge CHARLES A. PRESTON.

Witnesses:

GEO. WILLIS PIERCE, JOHN F. MARTIN. 

